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Sunday, 12 August 2012

Are You Up For A Challenge?

Hey everyone,

We were looking for a challenging workout. We wanted something that would be short duration, high intensity and require some real dedication to complete. When we selected our workout, we designed it to include only bodyweight exercises and no special equipment.

We chose to do a Fight Gone Bad (FGB) Champion's workout. By picking bodyweight exercises that don't require any special equipment, we wanted to test our theory that you can have an amazing workout without lifting weights or relying on gear.

The FGB Champion's workout is composed of 5 exercises which are completed consecutively, in 1 minute blocks, with no rest. Once you complete all 5 (i.e. a 5 minute circuit), you have earned 1 minute rest. This simulates the 5 minute rounds you would endure in a mixed martial arts fight. In a Champion's version, you complete 5 rounds, to simulate a 5 round title fight. In a regular version, you would do 3 rounds. If you are a beginner, you can scale this workout by completing anywhere from 1 to 3 rounds. The key, of course, is maintaining 100% intensity and effort throughout each of the exercises. If you moderate your pace, you are only cheating yourself.

This FGB workout was focused on lower body. We completed the following 5 exercises (demonstrated in the video above):

Pistol squats

Burpees

Cross-over step-ups

Hip bridges

Double knee touches

You can complete this workout at home, using a chair (and/or a bench if you have one available). The double knee touches are technically an exercise for your core/abs, but they do incorporate leg movement so we included them. They're also quite challenging as the 5th minute of this circuit!

This workout was intense. It was a great challenge and really validated our theory that you can do an awesome bodyweight workout without fancy equipment. We encourage you to take a few minutes, grab a stopwatch and give it a try. If you give 100%, you'll be rewarded with a huge feeling of accomplishment (and relief) when you pass this challenge. Down the road, as you continue to use these types of workouts, you'll be rewarded with a strong, lean body which is capable of great athletic feats. Give it a try and let us know what you think!